Buriram hit by worst drought in 50 years

[Lite Beer]

Buriram hit by worst drought in 50 years

BURIRAM, 14 June 2015 (NNT) – Farmers in the northeastern province of Buriram are pleading for government help as more than half of their farming areas are being hit by the worst drought in 50 years.

The prolonged dry season has brought on damage to more than 700 rai out of the 1,100 rai of farming areas in Ban Sokklong Village. Villagers fear the rest of their rice paddies will die off if no rains come within a week. Cultivation in this community relies mainly on rainfalls.

Their most-needed aid includes rain-making operations, government compensation for the damaged crops and distribution of seeds to relieve their financial trouble caused by their failed investment.

The lengthy drought reportedly caused water levels at major dams to fall to a new low over the past 51 years. The Royal Irrigation Department called on farmers to refrain from the annual rice cultivation during this period as part of its water management scheme.

-- NNT 2015-06-14

[Toknarok]

Thunder showers still very patchy. Terrific storm here Ban Kruat yesterday 3pm, belted down for an hour. Buriram Town got nothing.

[Jip99]

Same here near Phanom Rung, has been bone dry but of storms have helped immensely.

[khwaibah]

Over in Kap Choeng had about 6 hours of much needed rain yesterday first time since November last year. It seriously sucks and its not getting any better.

Edited June 14, 2015 by khwaibah

[isanbirder]

Thunder every day, but as often as not, no rain (Krasang area).. The big rice area near my house looked OK this morning; the ground was damp (but no water on the surface), and the rice shoots looked thriving.

But we need some real rain, and that soon.

[RustBucket]

Heavy rainfall in Korat yesterday but ground bone dry this morning and river still very very low.

Need at least a month of the same on a daily basis just to get the ground water back up enough to start the klongs and rivers flowing to the reservoirs.

Lamtakong at about 17% capacity with not much of a wet season forecast, so what it will be like here say next January is anyone's guess.

[lostinisaan]

Their most-needed aid includes rain-making operations, government compensation for the damaged crops and distribution of seeds to relieve their financial trouble caused by their failed investment.

I've got a certificate stating that I was part of the rain making team, issued by a governmental institution. But I'm afraid that the phosphoric procedure never really worked out, even with clouds in the sky. Even if there're people who believe that it works.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/aritificial-rain-making-operation-launched-today

The Department of Royal Artificial Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation officially launched a nation-wide rain making operation today in Nakhon Sawan in order to ease drought problem which has already hit several provinces.The launch was presided over Agriculture Minister Pitipong Pungbun na Ayudhya and witnessed by top brass from the three armed forces.

The Minster's last name sounds so familiar to me, didn't his daughter cause that horror crash in Bangkok not too many moons ago and nothing happened to her?

Why do i have the feeling that a soldier doesn't know how to deal with such issues?

But farmers can invest more in lottery now and hope for the best. Hope is the last that dies. ( Hopefully after the crops?)

Either it doesn't rain at all, or if so then it's sometimes raining "cat and dogs" and i need to pull out my yellow submarine in Sisaket.

Edited June 14, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Chicken George]

Not so good in the North either

[kerrysum]

My advice is to study weather patterns.... Not much more to say than that.....

[jackanapes]

I have stated previously that an answer to this problem of drought is wells and bore holes.

[anon467367354]

Their most-needed aid includes rain-making operations, government compensation for the damaged crops and distribution of seeds to relieve their financial trouble caused by their failed investment.

I've got a certificate stating that I was part of the rain making team, issued by a governmental institution. But I'm afraid that the phosphoric procedure never really worked out, even with clouds in the sky. Even if there're people who believe that it works.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/aritificial-rain-making-operation-launched-today

The Department of Royal Artificial Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation officially launched a nation-wide rain making operation today in Nakhon Sawan in order to ease drought problem which has already hit several provinces.The launch was presided over Agriculture Minister Pitipong Pungbun na Ayudhya and witnessed by top brass from the three armed forces.

The Minster's last name sounds so familiar to me, didn't his daughter cause that horror crash in Bangkok not too many moons ago and nothing happened to her?

Why do i have the feeling that a soldier doesn't know how to deal with such issues?

But farmers can invest more in lottery now and hope for the best. Hope is the last that dies. ( Hopefully after the crops?)

Either it doesn't rain at all, or if so then it's sometimes raining "cat and dogs" and i need to pull out my yellow submarine in Sisaket.

Those trying to make it rain are seriously being outgunned by those that have an interest in not making it rain.

[vincent13]

I have stated previously that an answer to this problem of drought is wells and bore holes.

Unfortunately, many of the wells and bore holes in parts of the north-east only produce salt water.

[thaigold]

It is a fact, my friends, that the Northeast's chronic drought problems could have been solved a 100-years ago. How, you ask? Well, how about this; the Isaan is located on one of the most abundant and life giving rivers in Asia - The Mekong. Now, it so happens that I read everyday how stupid the farangs are and how culturally advanced the Thais are.
Well, here's a truth for our Thai readers to swallow.

Los Angeles is a desert - even the indigenous Indians had trouble surviving in the "Valley of the Smokes" the LA Basin. You know what the dumb farangs did? They built aqueducts from the Colorado River and Mono Basin to bring water to Los Angeles. Los Angeles supports over 10 million souls.

Now doesn't it stand to reason if the Thais of high social position some 100-years ago had built water systems in the north (instead of hotels, freeway for cars, and shopping malls in Bangkok) that there would be contentment in the Northeast? What do you think?

[DILLIGAD]

[peter267]

I have stated previously that an answer to this problem of drought is wells and bore holes.

A groundwater source is simply a stored volume of rainwater. In times of drought ground water 'table' drops. It has long be argued that the stored resource is generally immense and the quick solution to meet water demand whenever & wherever. Inhabitants of California of particular note, India, (so successful in making boreholes they are nationally an over abstracter year on year despite the volume of rainfall) China , and as a Brit - The once abundant chalk limestone in the South East of England being sucked dry know the truth on this supply being practically unlimited in volume.

Assuming it was thought to be an unlimited supply the farmer who seeks to use it to irrigate with it using expensive powered pumps working at higher heads than the gentle phut phut of a tractor engine to lift the water for Klong into a field - assuming gravity not available. Where this extra cost absorbed?

Sure groundwater at higher value is a valuable useful resource, but not quite the full answer to drought and food production.

[Nobb]

I thought the government told the rice farmers not to plant early crop because of the dams had low water levels with a impending drought. But the farmers buy

seed and plant there rice any way. Now they ask the government to give them money because of no water and they are losing there crops. I feel sorry for them butthey did not listen to the governments warnings! This will be very interesting to follow!